John E Davies

Read this thread through to the end, then make your own decision. https://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f12/i-am-really-new-to-the-rv-and-have-a-question-about-towing-e-pro-19fbs-with-highlander-229888.html John Davies Spokane WA

Dry trailer weight includes no factory options at all. Those can easily add up to maybe 300 pounds…. Unfortunately, you mentioned boondocking, and that requires at least the solar option. And primitive camping normally means you tend to bring more stuff, not less, which you can get away with when you are in a developed campground. John Davies Spokane WA

The problem with the plastic cans is that you cannot secure the openings and they inevitably leak or smell. I have two 5 gallon NATO cans, I carried them for years up front on the cargo tray, then I moved the tray to the back and carried them there. Now I carry one inside the Land Cruiser, no worries, completely out of sight, no leaks, no odors. These cans can be dropped or run over and they don’t leak. Period. https://www.amazon.com/Wavian-USA-JC0020RVS-Authentic-System/dp/B011AJF0PE I don’t think your Highlander has NEARLY enough reserve capability for a 5000 pound LE1, but if you carefully watch your loading, travel with empty tanks, and don’t ever travel at high elevations it may be adequate. Until you get tired of its many limitations. “For every 1,000 feet of elevation, a gasoline engine loses 4% of its power. Because of this, you should reduce your vehicle’s maximum towing capacity by 2% for every 1,000 feet of elevation. So, for a non-hybrid Toyota Highlander at 10,000 feet, the actual towing capacity should be 4,000 pounds instead of the rated 5,000 pounds.” https://camper101.com/toyota-highlander-towing-capacity/ If you don’t want to change vehicles, a 3500 lb trailer would be an ideal match. John Davies Spokane WA

I am fairly sure that is a piece of a cabin drawer slide. It is the same gauge and color.... . I don't know if Oliver trims any material off one end. I wouldn't worry about it, unless you just want to be reassured, in that case you can open a service ticket and ask. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6734-how-to-drawers-remove-and-reinstall-your-galley-and-end-table-drawers-fix-loose-or-stripped-screws-and-glue-the-bottoms-for-extra-strength/ I hope you did not step on it with bare feet.... John Davies Spokane WA

The Oliver Trailer Company is not an ultimate authority, they often make mistakes during the build and they make very odd engineering decisions for no decernable reason, like the infamous 11/4" bike receiver.... The great thing about the Internet is you can go to a bunch of trailer forums, read reviews and comments from actual owners, and decide for yourself if the benefits outweigh all the negatives and increased labor. I would leave "Mouse" out in the open all winter before than I would a cloth cover on it. I am just very glad I don't have to... John Davies Spokane WA

"Recommended" and "Required" are two entirely different things. It's similar to an engine should use 91 octane for best performance but it is fine with 87 octane. It is up to you to decide, but personally I think it would be crazy to use an Andersen hitch with your heavy duty truck. Any decent defense lawyer would immediately show that your Ollie is perfectly fine with a dead weight hitch. I do recommend that you make sure your tires and brakes are always in good shape. That will have more effect on any possible accidents than the kind of hitch you are using. Your English is fine.... John Davies Spokane WA

You never told us where you store the Ollie, beside your house? At a facility? If snow load is your concern and you only have one awning you can tilt the panel so snowfall will never accumulate, but you still will need to get it off the roof, so you don’t have to worry about freeze thaw cycles making destructive ice dams. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2791-how-to-solar-panel-extension-arms/ I have never done this where high winds might occur. I am not sure if it is any riskier than lying flat. A fixed outside shelter is by FAR a better long term solution, if you have a place for one and codes allow it. A fabric cover is the worst solution for many reasons, including how do you clean it properly, to remove destructive grit. It is a truly huge piece of material. Any dirt on the gel coat or inside the cover will cause scratches! I had one long ago and it gave me ulcers. 😬 Never again! John Davies Spokane WA

Those are terrific (and high quality) fans but they most likely won't last very long, they were never intended for a wet environment. I used one in the bottom of my battery box for cross ventilation, I added drain holes to the hub, so water won’t pool inside and screw up the bearings or freeze, and sealed the wires. The Fridge Defend fans are moisture resistant and have proven to hold up well in this exposed location. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5301-how-to-lithium-battery-powered-vent-system/ John Davies Spokane WA

This is a little disheartening. The third row seats are slid forward and folded, you can see the odd raised ledge underneath where the hybrid battery is located. https://www.autoblog.com/2022/09/12/toyota-sequoia-luggage-test/ Those seats are not removable because Toyota wants them there to “protect the battery”. I am sure the industrious aftermarket will soon have a stout, completely flat cargo platform to install there, in place of those bulky and heavy seats, that will have tie-down rails and will provide enough protection for the electrical stuff underneath. It sure would be nice if Toyota would offer these trucks without that nasty third row. They did that for the last year Land Cruiser 200 Heritage Edition. I’m still hoping to see one of these in the flesh before too long. John Davies Spokane WA

I was asking Serge, the OP who started this thread last year, not the Austin “bot”. I was wondering what happened, did the sale fall through? Serge seems to be a live human being.. John Davies Spokane WA

serge, did you ever get your Ollie? Pictures would be welcome. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome to the forum, please fill out your signature so we know what trailer and tow vehicle you have. Do you have towing experience? I can’t recommend any specific places along your route, though Land Between The Lakes is near Paducah and has a whole bunch of camping options and 170,000 acres. The last time I was there was around 1976, so my memories are off a little 😬 I do caution that some of the secondary county roads in middle and west TN are extremely twisty and up/ down/ up, and they should be avoided if you haven’t towed before. Stick to major state and US highways and avoid the ridges and “hollers” (hollows). John Davies Spokane WA

https://letsrv.com/the-rv-gray-water-dumping-guide/ John Davies Spokane WA

John, you need to decide if you are going to keep a small heater going in winter, and at what temperature. You definitely don’t want to let it freeze inside the Ollie with a dehumidifier going, and the compressor types don’t operate at all in really low temps, they ice up. I think all these dehumidifiers release some waste heat during operation, but I doubt if that alone is enough to maintain inside temps. If you plan to winterize the water system and let the trailer stay at ambient temperature, you will need to empty the tank and shut off the dehumidifier for those below freezing times. John Davies Spokane WA

Watch this video: … FAQ: Can I charge my batteries using the alternator? l Battle Born Batteries https://battlebornbatteries.com/charging-lithium-batteries-the-basics/ I personally want the TRAILER to be idiot proof and to be completely independent of any big wires or special isolation devices on the TV. Otherwise, changing TVs, such as Frank’s backup Armada (including selling the Ollie to a new owner) might end catastrophically. If you are going to the trouble to add isolators and such to your TV, you might as well string great big 4AWG cables under the truck and through the trailer and use a great big DC to DC smart lithium charger located inside the trailer. IMHO. Those are the reasons I installed the Redarc. It is a stand alone solution (except as noted above for smart alternators). I also think that using the existing charge wire “as is” or major alterations to an in-warranty truck electrical system might result in a claim denial. Especially if they find out your trailer has lithium batteries, which they might ask….But that didn’t affect my decision at all. The fact that Oliver doesn’t leave that wire hooked up should serve as a big warning. How is your risk aversion level.? “Do you feel lucky punk?” Are you willing to risk an engine bay fire? John Davies Spokane WA

On Hull 218 that breaker was a $3 automotive self resetting breaker, located on the 12 volt DC bus under the street side bed. I think it would be very unwise to risk damage to your truck alternator. Either disconnect that wire (and cap it) or install a DC to DC charger and enjoy the extra “juice”. This unit gives 11 amps continuously, and requires no changes to the tow vehicle, unless you have a “smart” alternator, then you would have to run a small gauge “voltage sense” wire up to the truck battery, which turns the charger on and off. I did not have to do that for my 2013 Toyota. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5270-how-to-redarc-dc-to-dc-11-amp-output-trailer-charger-installation/ John Davies Spokane WA

AND we want the sewn-on logo in front to have a cloth backing, otherwise it itches like crazy and leaves weird patterns, aka a “third eye”. John Davies Spokane WA

It has truly impressive specs, but the cost is excessive and I personally would wait for that to come down and for the inevitable design bugs to be fixed….. I have had a few Honda products and I think their quality is on the decline. They sometimes make improvements that make the product look better but the actual usability isn’t as good. My old HRX mower got tired after 14 years and I replaced it with an essentially identical one. They got rid of the manual choke, so now it takes five pulls to start from cold. The last one took one pull, even after six months storage. I have a new Acura car and I read all kinds of complaints, for example exploding rear hatch glass, about how the quality is just no long there. My 2010 TL was reliable as a rock. Don’t fall for the Honda Quality hype. I quite like my Yamaha generator. https://www.motorbiscuit.com/honda-shockingly-falls-dependability-jd-power-study-shows/ My RDX is a PMC limited edition and it was hand assembled by “master techs” on the NSX super car production line, so it should be more reliable, fingers crossed… John Davies Spokane WA

FYI, you haven’t mentioned how knowledgeable you are about the tech aspect. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2778-brakes-auto-adjust-vs-manual-adjust-what-are-the-differences/ In your shoes (brake pun intended) if there are problems with both right ones, which is what I suspect, I would install four new manual adjust assemblies. You must change them in pairs on each axle. Good luck, I loathe drum brakes on any kind of vehicle. Mine have been mostly trouble free since I trashed the auto adjust ones. They just don’t function well in normal towing conditions and they fade away completely on wet highways. FYI Toyota Tacomas STILL come with rear drums. The fix is to install aftermarket disk brakes. That is what our Ollies need. Complain to Oliver! …. https://tacoma3g.com/threads/drum-brakes-worst-decision-toyota-made.11900/ John Davies Spokane WA

eBay: John Davies Spokane WA

Resurrecting an old thread, where is this promised online Oliver Store? After six years I have just a pair of Ollie insulated cups and a ball cap, both of which were gifted to me by a kind forum member who took pity on me. Related thread: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4124-oliver-merchandise/ John Davies Spokane WA

I actually see Oliver tractors and other heavy farm equipment listed fairly often on Craigslist, maybe there were more sold in the West? Current ads: There are also all sorts of stuff like mills and lathes, and even a bagel slicer, tho I expect that is not actually the same company 😬: It would be fun to have a bunch of Oliver tools. I am still waiting on the long ago promised Oliver Online Store so I can buy some Ollie shirts. Any updates on that? Please post any comments here: …. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2654-quotollie-gearquot-company-store-products-desired-speak-up/ John Davies Spokane WA

I totally agree, it can be a sobering revelation to brand new owners who jumped in feet first without enough research on owner forums. Those RV commercials on tv are so very deceptive, with the happy family gathered around on the meticulously groomed grass beside the lake, with not another camper in sight. I wish I could find that perfect spot 😬, John Davies Spokane WA

Try this, you may not be turning it off, just to Standby. Push and HOLD the power button. Once off it should stay off until you press it again. This is the same as my six year old model, it took me five years 😳 to figure out how to kill the night mode display and its associated parasitic draw. John Davies Spokane WA

The 1.98” ones don’t go on the wheels at all, you throw those center caps away. BTW the LE2 axles are standard 3500 pound axles, they just have special 6 stud hubs so Oliver can use those heavy duty 16 inch wheels. It also means there are no plug and play disk brake kits available, you either have to install two new heavier axles or downsize to 15 inch tires and 5 lug wheels. Not exactly brilliant engineering….. Your Ollie will come with this sort of hub: Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly - 3,500-lb Axles - 10" Diameter - 6 on 5-1/2 … but with NevR Lube bearings, I think. John Davies Spokane WA